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“What do you seek?” (John 1:38 NASB).
This is the first recorded question Jesus asks at the outset of His ministry. We would do well to ask this of ourselves every day—this will uncover what we long for more than anything else. It will get to the heart of the matter, going beyond what we say we want and looking at what we actually do.
We are shaped by our aspirations, by our longings. Our choices reveal these desires. The heart, after all, has a way of making room for what it treasures.
We all have the same amount of time. But what we do with that time tells us what we pursue. For this reason, our checkbook and our calendar often demonstrate the true desires of our heart.
Every day, we encounter a series of choices to pursue Jesus above any earthbound goods. This is a process, not a once-and-done event. As Paul says, “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31 NASB). Likewise, we need to put to death the desires of the flesh, reorienting our hearts and minds to follow after Jesus. Our choices will change based on these desires.
One result of this reorientation is desiring God’s presence instead of His presents. Even in the midst of adversity, we will have hope and joy in Him. After all, the person who has God has all things in Him—even when material comfort is lacking.
Ultimately, nothing less than God Himself can truly satisfy us. Pursuing Him is worth any sacrifices we make here on this earth.
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In the article below, Dr. Boa synthesizes material from several teaching sessions from his series Biblical Principles for Marriage and from portions of his spiritual formation text Conformed to His Image (primarily from chapter 18, “Holistic Spirituality”). Dr. Boa focuses on agape love as one of the five forms of loves (based on the different Greek words). After reviewing all forms, he gives reasons for why agape is the greatest.
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